Title

Authors

Publication Date

1999

Abstract

This research paper is about recruitment practices undertaken by Peace Corps recruiters in the New England Boston Regional Office. Peace Corps' Boston office is one of eleven such recruitment facilities throughout the United States. Its goal is to provide Peace Corps with trainees in order to help meet programming requests identified by its overseas staff and host country personnel. The research's main objective was to analyze the recruitment techniques used by Boston office recruiters as compared to those offered by Peace Corps - Washington (DC) as standard practice. Additionally, focus was placed on the differing recruitment techniques used by individual recruiters within the Boston Office and to identify internal environment aspects associated with job performance. The goal was to provide a study, for the Boston Office, of recruiter familiarity and a sense of effectiveness utilizing various recruitment tools. The study indicates that recruitment techniques outlined by Peace Corps - Washington (DC) and those offered by Peace Corps - Boston, while using similar tools, differ in style and effectiveness. Recruiter recruitment success is a variable of internal and external environmental realities. A recruiters ability to rapidly learn experientially and to properly interpret ones impact are the true driving forces, combined with a bit of luck, behind the effectiveness of recruitment techniques. The recommendations are that Peace Corps (the organization) re-examine its perception of recruiters. It must come to the realization that its life-blood depends on a constant supply of Peace Corps volunteers. Recruiters are the spear-head providing the raw material in which its mission is fueled. Accordingly, viable experiential training, increased advertising, de-emphasized recruitment objectives, and external environmental realities should be addressed.